Rede des Hessischen Ministerpräsidenten anlässlich der Eröffnung des 10. Deutschen Weltbankforums „The Asian Century: Challenges in the Economic Crisis“ Messe Frankfurt, 20. November 2008 Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen! On behalf of the Government of the State of Hessen, it is my sincere honor to welcome you to this conference. A very warm welcome to Frankfurt! The City of Frankfurt has a long tradition as a place where people meet for trade and commerce, but also for open discussion. It is one of the oldest and largest trade fair locations of Europe. And in 1848, Frankfurt was also the place, where Germany’s first national parliament assembled. I am very pleased that, today, such a prominent event like the 10th German World Bank Forum connects to these historic roots. By gathering people from all over the world in order to exchange ideas and form an opinion, it carries on with the open-mindedness and the traditions of Frankfurt and the State of Hessen. Frankfurt and the area of Rhine-Main form a location, where the flows of global capital converge and make up the beating heart of our economy. This heartbeat is driven by major financial institutions, such as the European Central Bank, […]